Knife sharpener



March 4, 1930. F. PASS I KNIFE SHARPENER Filed Nov. 22, 1926 4 p Wm Patented 'Mar. 4, 1930 FRED PASS, or onrcnoo, ILLInoIs, nss onon or ONE- OF TOLEDO, "OHIO KNIFE snnnrnnnn Application filed'November 22, 1926. 'Serial 'No. 149,912.

. This invention relates to sharpening devices, and more particularly toa draw knife sharpener of that general type .in which the blade of the knife is moved in contact with acutting'edge so as to scrape 'ofl or remove a portion of the material of the blade for sharpening the same.

In devices of'this character with which I am familiar, the cutting edge which the knife blade is moved in contact with, is disposed at right angles to the blade, that is, in parall'eli'sm with the wall of the guidin'gslot with which the blade contacts during movement thereof through the slot. By having the cutting edge arranged in this manner, the material removed from the knife b'ladeisscraped or torn off of the blade and is not cut therefrom.' This results' in producing a very "ragged edge on 'theknife'bla'de while rendering the use ofthesharpenihg device unnecessarily hard. I'have found that by properly relating the cutting *edge'of "the de'v iceand shearing cut so as'to quickly'produce'a sharp,

the grooves which receivethe knife l il'a depit is possible to produce a device in which the material is cut neatly from the blade with a smooth edge which is free of all rag e'dness or unevenness. This greatly facilitates the sharpening of a knife and also avoids the objection inherent in devices of this 'sor't'now in use, that an unnecessary amount of the metal of the. knife blade is torn away before a satisfactory cutting edge can be produced.

'- One'of the main objects of myinventijon is to provide a device of the character stated of simple and inexpensive construction which avoidsthe objections above noted incident' to sharpeners of this general f'type now incommonuse. A further" object is'to provide a device of this character by means of which a smooth, sharp/cutting edge can be quickly produced on a knife blade withvery '{little efiort; Another-abject isto provide a: cutting member or plate foracting upon the blade of the knife, this latehavinga plurality o'f cutting edges and being adjustable to expose di-fferent portions ofthese edges, the blade being also reversible to "bring differented'ges into op eration. Furthe'ro from the detailed description,

'je'cts will appear taken substantially on cast iron or steel. This body :is provided in its front face with a central longitudinally extending 'groove 2 of elongated rectangular shape and with two slots 3 extending from the lateral edges thereof andconverging toward thevgroove 2. As will be noted more clearly from Fig. 4, these slots also converge toward the front face of the block. A suitable handle lextends from one end of block '1, this handle bein'g :fo'rmed of a suitable :lengthof heavy wire 'or other suitable material which is bent to provide theisubstantial- 1y parallel arms 4A the ends of which are secured to the block in any suitable manner as by having the material of the block cast about the arm, though any other suitable or preferred means for securing the handle to the block may he employed. It will also be evident that the handle-can be of any other suitable shape or construction than that shoivnand described.

A rectangular cutting plate 5 is mounted i-n gro0ve 2 of'blo'ck'l. This plate is formed of "highly. tempered steel of sufficient hardness to readily "cut tempered steel such as is 'commonly innp'loyed for kn'ife blades and similar ipurposes. P1ate'5 fits snugly within new no GEORGE n. NORTON,

groove 2 and can be readily adjusted longi tudinally thereof. It will also be noted that by removing bolt 6 the plate can be readily removed and reversed in the groove. The lateral edges of the plate 5 extend across the inner end portions of slots 3 and by adjusting this plate longitudinally of groove 2 the entire length of the cutting edge at each side of the plate can be brought into position to operate upon the knife edge. As soon as any one portion of the cutting edge of the plate becomes too dull for satisfactory service, the plate can be adjusted slightly in proper direction to expose an unused portion of the edge for use. It'will thus be seen that the sharpener can be kept at all times in the very best condition for quickly sharpening knives and similar tools. 7

As will be noted more clearly from Fig. 41, plate 5 is of appreciable thickness and "each lateral edge or face .10 thereof is flat and disposed at right angles to the plane of the plate. This provides at each i side of the plate front and back cutting edges 10A and 1013, respectively. Due to the fact that the slots 3 are disposed at an inclination towards the front ofthe'block, the lower or outer wall 3A of each slot is disposed at an acuteangle'to the cutting edge 10A. of plate 5. Itwill thus be seen that the blade of a knife inserted through slot 3A will beiclisposed at an acute angle to the cutting edge 10A considered from front to back of the blade, and will'also be disposed at an inclination to the cutting edge downwardly and inwardly of the block 1 toward the groove 2. This insures that, as the knife blade is drawn through the slots 3 from the front toward the back of block 1, the cutting edge 10A will exert a shearing effect on the blade so as to smoothly cut or shear off the material at the lower edge of the blade at one side thereof.

.As there is no pulling or dragging incident V to this shearing oil of the'metal, the knife lade can be quickly drawn through the device with/little effort. By drawing the blade through slots 3 alternately the metal at opposite sides of the blade is sheared off so as to quickly produce a cutting edge. This cutting edge is'produced with a minimum of effort and is smooth and sharp, being free of all raggedness or unevenness due tothe fact that the cutting edges 10A exert a true cutting effect for removing the metal of the blade and the metal is not removed by being pulled or torn off of the blade as in'sharpening devices of this character now in use with which I am familiar.

I In the event. that the portions of cutting edge 10A extending across the slots 3 become dull'to such an extent as not to give satisfactory service, the plate 3 can be adjusted slightly in either direction so as to expose an unused part of the edge 10A and position it across the slots. The slot 7 inblock 1 is of proper length to permit the plate 5 front cutting edges 10A have been used to such an extent as to be rendered too dull for satisfactory-service for their full length, the blade can be removed and reversed so as to expose the unused cutting edges 1013'. In

this connection, it will be noted that the rear cutting edges 1013 do not contact with the tion on a'suitable base ll'which may beformed integrally with the block. This base provides means whereby'the device can be.

to be used I for substantially its full'length. After the secured upon a table, draining board, or

other suitable support, indicated by S.

In either form of the device, the knife blade is insertedin the slots 3 and moved through the same from front to back of block 1, as

will be readily understood from Fig. 1. The V shearing effect of cuttingedge 10A for removing the metal of the blade can be some-:;

what increased by inclining blade, Z) of the knife downwardly and forwardly of block 1. as indicated, although I do not consider this essential as a veryeifective shearing effect is produced by having the slots 3 inclined in two directions to block 1 and related to thecutting edge of the blade in the manner set forth. r A

I also contemplate making the sharpener with one slot only. In this modification the knife can be readily sharpened by drawing the blade thereof through the slot, in-contact with the cutting edge, the direction in which the blade is drawn being alternately reversed.

-When using the form which is unsecured and is provided with a handle, the sharpener is held in position adjacent a suitable support with the lower end of the block bearrnq firmly on the support, as will be readily understood. I

What I claim is 1. A sharpening device of the scribed comprising a block of substantial character dethickness, a sharpening member mounted on V the block, there being a narrow" slot having parallel walls in the block extending to the sharpening member, the block being of such thicknessthat the walls of the slot are relatively wide whereby the slot serves to guide and maintain an article to besharpened at ighe proper angle against the sharpening memer. s V Y i 2. A sharpening device of the character described comprising a block of substantial thickness, a sharpening member mounted on the block, said block being provided with a.

pair of narrow slots converging toward and extending to the sharpening member in two planes atan angle to one another, the walls of each slot being parallel and the block being of such thickness that the walls of the slots are relatively wide whereby each slot serves to guide and maintain an article to be sharpened at the proper angle against the sharpening member.

3. A sharpening device of the character described, comprising a block having a longitudinally extending groove, a sharpening member mounted in said groove for adjustment therein, there being a longitudinal slot extending through the block and in said groove, and narrow slots extending from the opposite sides of the block and converging toward the groove in two planes, a bolt passing through the sharpening member and the longitudinal slot and a nut on the end of the bolt, serving to clamp the sharpening member in adjusted position, the two side walls of each of the narrow slots being relatively wide so as to form guides to maintain the article to be sharpened at the proper angle against the sharpening member. I 4. A sharpening device of the character described, comprising a block having a longitudinally extending groove, a sharpening member mounted in said groove for adjustment therein, there being a longitudinal slot extending through the block and in said groove, and narrow slots extending from the opposite sides of the block and converging toward the groove in two planes, a bolt passing through the sharpening member and the longitudinal slot and a nut on the end of the bolt, serving to clamp the sharpening member in adjusted position, the two side walls of eachof the narrow slots being relatively wide so as to form guides to maintain the article to be sharpened at the pro er angle against the sharpening member, an a handle secured to said block, said handle including two parallel arms, the outer ends of which are joined together and the inner ends of which are secured to the block.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of November, 1926.

FRED PASS. 

